Knitting-machine



(No Model.) 3Sheets-Sheet 1.

W. R. DILLMORE. KNITTING MACHINE.

No. 527,779. Patented Oct. 23, 1894.

)TNEssE:7%) I ffmvmon 7 BY (No Model.) a Sheets-Sheet a.

W. R. DILLMORE.

KNITTING MAGHINE'. 1 I0.'52'7,779 n Patented Oct. 23,1894.

I WITNESSES: l\

Tm: ucnms PETERS 00 mom-Lima. WAiklNOTON n c NITED STATES PATE T OFFIKNITTING- SPEOIFIGATION forming part of Letters MACHINE.

Patent No. 527,779, dated October 23, 1894.

Application filed November 15, 1893. Serial No. 490,985- (No model.)

.To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM R. DILLMORE, of Philadelphia, county ofPhiladelphia, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented anew and usefulImprovement in Knitting-Machines, of which the following is aspecification.

At the present day it is a common practice to knit stockings with theheel and toe therein upon knitting machines having a single set ofreciprocating needles. It is usual in forming the heel and toe to firstelevate one-half of the needles on one side of the cylinder so, thatthey will remain inactive, retaining their loops, and then perform thenarrowing and widening operations by a reciprocating movement of the camcylinder which acts to raise a portion of the remaining needles, one ata time, at the end of each course out of action, and lower them in thesame manner.

My present invention consists of an automatically operating cam arrangedto raise out of action one-half of the needles at one side of themachine in order that the heeling and toeing operations may be performedby the needles remaining in action.

My invention also consists in the details of construction andcombination of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

Referring to the drawings-Figure 1 is a side elevation of a knittingmachine having my invention embodied therein. Fig. 2 is a horizontalsection of the same on the line 00-00. Fig. 3 is an elevation of theinside of the cam cylinder showing the relative location of the fixedcams for causing the reciprocation of the needles during the knittingoperation, and my improved cam for throwing aportion of the needles outof action. Fig. ,4 is a vertical transverse section through the camcylinder on the line y-y of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of theelevating cam detached. Fig. 6 is an elevation of the interior of theneedle cylinder and its sustaining frame. Fig. 7 is a side elevation ofa section of the cam-sustaining plate or track.

1 represents a casting or frame of a form suitable for sustaining theoperative parts of the machine hereinafter described. This framesustains a fixed needle cylinder 2, provided with a series of verticallyreciprocating needles 3. Surrounding the needle cylinder is a camcylinder or ring l arranged to revolve around the needle cylinder, anddriven in any appropriate manner. The cam ring is provided as usual withfixed side cams 5, and with a central elevated cam 6 the said cams beingof such form and so arranged that on the movement of the cylinder towhich they are fixed, their edges will engage the heels of the needlesand reciprocate them in such manner asto perform the knitting operation,the heels of the needles not engaged by the cams resting in themeanwhile on a ledge 7 formed-on the cam ring on the interior of thesame. i

The foregoing parts may be and are of the usual construction,and exceptin so far as hereinafter indicated, they form no part of the presentinvention.

In carrying my invention into practice, I provide a cam 8, arranged whenout of action to rest with its upper edge below the ledge onthe camring, and below the heels of the needles and adapted to be raisedautomatically into action above the ledge to engage the heels of theneedle, and cause the elevation of the same out of action, as more fullydescribed hereinafter. This cam is provided at its front and rear withgrooves whichare adapted to receive the edges of an oblique slot 9,formed in the cam ring, the arrangement being such that the cam 8 ispermitted to be moved upward and .downward within the slot but isprevented from escaping therefrom. The cam is provided with an inclinedfront edge 10, and with a horizontal edge 11, the former serving as thecam advances to raise the heels of the needles, and guide them on to thelatter. The oblique slot within which the cam slides extends below theledge on the cam ring, the latter being recessed, leaving a wall on theinner sideso that when out of action, the cam enters this recess andremains with its upper edge below or flush with the ledge. In order thatat the proper time this cam may be raised into action to elevate out ofaction one-half or a portion of the needles onone side of the cylinder,Iprovide the cam at its outer side with a fixed lateral finger 12, soarranged that'on the 'rotation of the cylinder, the finger willencounter'a stop 13 fixed to the frame, and will be caused to moveupward and pass onto a horizontal elevated fixed track or guide 14, the,

finger during its elevation moving along the inclined face of a plate15,- rising vertically from the cam ring adjacent to the oblique slot.

The elevated track extends partly around the cylinder, and is sustainedby standards 16,.fixed to the frame of the machine. It is of such lengththat the cam will be retained by the same in action in a raised positionun' til one half of the needles have been elevated, when it will passfrom the track and be returned to its former position by a spring 17,fixed at one end to the cam ring, and hearing at its. opposite end onthe finger 12.

The stop 13 is mounted on a vertical axis on the upper end of a post orstandard 18, which is fixed to a plate 19, provided with longitudinalslots, the plate being ad justably secured to the frame by screwspassing through the slots into the frame. The movable stop is providedwith a handle by means of which it may be turned outward on its axis outof the .path of the finger on the earn, the upper edge of the stop beingflush with the upper edge of the track, so that when it is turned inwardto be encountered by the finger, it will con stitute in fact acontinuation of the track, and insure the passage of the finger from thesame on to the track. A spring finger 21 is secured at one end to theplate 19, and has its opposite end arranged to bear against the stop, sothat a slight resistance will be offered to the movement of the same,and this in order that it may not accidentally move from its properposition. By providing for the adjustment of the plate carrying thestop, I am enabled to vary the point at which the cam will be raisedinto action, and consequently may vary the number of needles thrown outof action according to the conditions encountered in practice.

To move the stop outward out of the path of the finger on the cam afterthe finger has been raised and passes to the track, I secure to theouter side of the plate which supports the finger during its upwardmovement, a cam 22 of such form that it will encounter the stop as thecam ring is turned, and move the same outward.

The operation of the parts described is as follows:-Assuming that theweb is being knit by the operation of all the needles, and it is desiredto raise a portion of the needles on one side of the cylinder out ofaction to effect the narrowing and widening operations attending theformation of the heel and toe, the stop 13 is moved on its axis inwardin the path of the finger 12, which as the cam ring is revolved, willencounter the stop, move upward to its upper edge and be carried thenceon to the elevated track, the cam 22 encountering the stop and throwingthe same outward to its former, inoperative position. As the cam S iselevated on to the track, it will engage the heels of the needlesresting on the ledge, and raise them out of action, the succeedingneedles as the cam is advanced, riding up the inclined front edge of thecam to its upper horizontal edge, and being thereby rendered inactive.The movement of this cam ring continuing, the track is traversed by thefinger until its end is reached, at which point the track is providedwith an elevated portion 23, on to which the finger passes, elevatingstill higher the cam, so as to clear the heels of the needles which areto remain in action. The finger leaves the elevated portion of the trackand the spring 17 tending to depress the cam, lowers the same, its loweredge riding upon the heels of the needles in action until itarrives atthe last one, when the cam is further depressed by the spring, andthrown out of action in its recessbelow the ledge. After one-half or aportion of the needles have thus been thrown out of action, the cam ringis given, as usual,

a reciprocating movement, and by suitable mechanism a portion of theneedles remaining in action are raised, one at a time, at the end ofeach course, and then depressed again when the formation of the web iscontinued as before the needles elevated by the earn 8 being firstdepressed into action by hand.

In the accompaning drawings I have not shown mechanism for thusindividually elevating and depressing the needles during the formationof the heel and toe, as such mechanism forms no part of the presentinvention, and in no manner modifies the action of the parts hereindescribed. As far as the action of the particular mechanism described isconcerned, any elevating and depressing mechanism for effecting theformation of the heel and toe may be employed, or the needles for thatmatter may be moved by hand.

In machines of the character hereinbefore described, the needle cylinderis usually sus tained by the frame in such manner that it, (thecylinder) may be readily removed there from, the frame being commonly inthe form of split ring 20, having a ledge upon which the cylinder rests,it being clamped by drawing the ends of the ring together by means of ahorizontal shaft 24, extending through cars 25 on the end of the ring,the shaft being provided with a cam 26 for engaging one of the ears andwith an operating lever 27.

If, for any reason, the needle cylinder is removed during the knittingoperation, it is for purposes not necessary to describe, desirable thatwhen it is returned within the frame, it shall occupy the same relativeposition as before. In order that this may be assured,I have providedthe split ring with a recess 28, adapted when the cylinder is in placeto receive a depending lug 29 on its lower edge. From this it will beseen that when the cylinder is returned if the lug is inserted in therecess in the ring, the cylinder will occupy the same relative positionas it did before it was removed. The lug is rendered adjustable, andthis I accomplish by providing the same with a horizontal screw 30 asshown, arranged so that its projecting end will abut against the wall ofthe recess.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. In a knittingmachine the combination With the needle cylinder and needles, and withvthe cam-rin g, of a vertically movable cam carwith the needle cylinderand its needles, of a revolving cam ring, a rearwardly and upwardlyinclined guide-way in said ring,a movable cam provided with a projectingpart, sustained in said guide-way, the said cam standing normally belowthe heels of the needles, a stop adapted to be moved into the path ofthe projecting part of the cam to arrest the latter and cause it to moveupward in its guide way to an operative position, and a fixed supportextending partially around the cam ring to sustain the cam in itsoperative position.

3. In a knitting machine the combination of a needle cylinder and itsneedles, a cam ring provided with downwardly and forwardly extendingguides, a cam mounted to move upward and downward in said guides andresting normally below the heels of the needles, a finger projectinglaterally from the cam, a stop arranged to be encountered by the finger,and an elevated fixed track or guide adjacent to the stop to receive thefinger and sustain thecam in its elevated position. 1

4. In a knitting machine the combination of the needle cylinder and itsneedles, a cam ring, a vertically moving cam carried by the same, a stoparranged to momentarily retard the advance of the cam, but to permit itto rise, a track or guide to maintain the cam in its elevated position,a second stop serving to retard the advance of the cam but permit itsascent, and a guide or support adjacent to said second stop to hold thecam in its highest position.

5. In a knitting machine the combination of a needle cylinder and itsneedles, a cam cylin der, a movable normally inactive cam, a movablestop serving when in operative position to cause the cam to be movedinto action as the ring is revolved, and means controlled by themovement of the ring for rendering the stop inoperative.

6. In a knitting machine the combination of a needle cylinder and itsneedles, a cam ring, a Vertically moving cam carried by the ring afinger attached to the cam, a stop mounted on a vertical axis-andarranged to be moved in the path of the finger or free of the same asdesired and a guide or support adjacent to the movable stop to receiveand sustain the finger of the cam, the said guide extending partiallyaround the cam ring.

7. In a knitting machine the combination of a needle cylinder and itsneedles, a cam ring provided with a downwardly and forwardly inclinedslot, a vertically moving cam provided with grooves to receive the edgesof the slot, afinger attached to the cam, a movable stop arranged whenin operativeposition to be encountered by the finger, and a track orguide arranged adjacent to the stop to receive the finger.

8. In a knitting machine the combination of a needle cylinderandneedles, a rotatable cam ring provided with knitting cams, avertically movable cam carried by the cam ring and normally sustainedbelow the heels of the needles, means for elevating said cam intoaction, means for sustaining it in action during aportion of arevolution, and means for further elevating it to an inoperativeposition above the needles.

9. In a knitting machine the combination of a needle cylinder andneedles, a rotatable cam ring provided with knitting cams and With anupwardly andbackwardly inclined guide- Way, a vertically movable camsustained in said guide-way and provided with a projecting portion, astop adapted to be moved into the path of a projecting portion of thecam to cause the latter to rise in its inclined guide Ways to anoperative position in front of the heels of the needles, a horizontaltrack or guide extending partially around the cam cylinder to sustainthe cam in operative position duringa portion of a revolution, a secondstop to raise it to an inoperative position above the heels of theneedles, and a short track to sustain it momentarily in said inoperativeposition.

10. In a knitting machinethe combination of a supporting frame providedwith a notch or recess, and a removable needle cylinder provided with alug or projection adapted to enter said recess, but of less width thanthe same, and a transverse screw in said lug of a length to fit therecess in the frame, the saidscrew being adj ust-able longitudinallythrough the lug; whereby the position of the cylinder on the frame isadapted to be ad justed. 7

11. In a knitting machine the combination of the needle cylinder andneedles, the cam ring and its knitting cams,avertically movable'camcarried bythe cam ring and sustained normally below the heels of theneedles, a movable stop on the frame adapted to be set in the path of aprojecting part of said, cam to elevate the same to an operativeposition, a track or guide adjacent to said stop to receive and sustainthe cam, and a projection on the cam ring to throw the stop out ofaction after the cam has been elevated.

In testimony whereof I hereunto set my hand, this 19th day of September,1893, in the presence of two attesting witnesses.

WILLIAM R. DILLMORE.

Witnesses:

EDWARD LANDENBERGER, WM. J. CURRAN.

